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For any illness in the elderly, dietary therapy (Shi Zhi) should be employed first; if dietary therapy fails to cure the condition, then medicinal treatment (Yao Zhi) should be prescribed. This is the primary principle for caring for the elderly.

Newly harvested grains and beans should not be consumed in large quantities by the elderly, as they may trigger various chronic diseases (Xiu Ji).

Those skilled in caring for the elderly should not read books unrelated to health preservation, listen to sounds unrelated to health preservation, engage in activities unrelated to health preservation, or eat foods unrelated to health preservation. The so-called "foods unrelated to health preservation" include pork, beef, mutton, chicken, fish, garlic, raw vegetables, raw meat, white wine, and foods that are excessively sour or salty. One should frequently learn to eat a light diet. As for yellow millet and adzuki beans, these are not suitable for the elderly. It is advisable to frequently consume foods that are light, clear, sweet, and bland, such as wheat flour and barley flour, which are excellent. One should also avoid forcefully biting and chewing hard dried meats, lest it cause the detriment of broken teeth and damaged gums. One should maintain a state of neither hunger nor fullness, and a body temperature that is neither cold nor hot. By properly managing walking, sitting, lying down, talking, laughing, sleeping, and eating, and by acting without error even in haste, one can prolong life and enhance longevity.

The way of caring for the elderly dictates that diet must avoid mixing diverse foods; mixing causes the five flavors to interfere with each other, leading to illnesses from food. Therefore, food should be chosen for its freshness and kept simple and small in quantity. Diet should be frugal; if one indulges in taste and eats too much, the elderly person's gastrointestinal tract has thin walls, and excessive food will not digest, inevitably causing abdominal distension, shortness of breath, and potentially Huoluan (cholera-like syndrome). From after the Summer Solstice to before the Autumn Equinox, one should not consume rich, fatty, thick foods, butter, cheese, or dairy products, and there will be no other issues. The reason the elderly suffer from many diseases is that they took too much coolness during spring and summer in their youth and ate too cold food. Therefore, fish, raw vegetables, and raw meat—cold and raw substances—harm the human body and should be discontinued. Only milk, cheese, butter, and honey should be consumed warm and regularly, which greatly benefits the elderly. However, consuming them suddenly in large amounts can also cause abdominal distension, diarrhea, and dysentery. Humans begin to decline at age fifty; the Spleen and Stomach become weak and thin, food intake is limited, and one becomes hungry easily and feels full easily. One cannot strictly limit oneself to three meals a day; instead, observe the individual's condition and gradually increase intake.

After the age of seventy, Qi and Blood are weak and exhausted, relying entirely on diet for support. Moreover, the Spleen and Stomach gradually weaken, and the capacity to accept food diminishes; one feels full and then hungry again quickly. Therefore, nighttime food intake is indispensable. Items such as dried cakes, cooked dates, and noodle or millet dishes should be kept by the bedside, and clay pots or copper jars should always be near the stove, so that nothing is lacking.

The food eaten by the elderly should generally be very soft and well-cooked to facilitate digestion. Mellow wine can be taken in several cups to assist Qi and Blood, but not in excess. Raw, cold, hard items and sour or aged wines must be avoided; otherwise, acting on impulse may lead to regret. My late father lived to be eighty-nine years old and had deep knowledge of these dietary principles.